In middle school and high school, I grew to love music. Throughout the years, my tastes have ebbed and flowed. I have always loved rock, I occasionally enjoy hip hop, and I always despise country. One type of music that has lasted through the years is electronic dance music, often incorrectly referred to with the blanket term “techno” music.

I remember rocking out to classic tracks like “Get Busy Child” from Crystal Method, “Block Rockin’ Beats” by The Chemical Brothers, and the Darude hit “Sandstorm.” In high school, I decided I wanted to become a DJ. Sadly, though, DJ equipment is very expensive. I was able to hack into a music production program and created my first dance songs in high school and college. I called myself DJ Fire at the time. You can listen to my first songs at ACID Planet for free.

I never stopped loving dance music. At Bar Mitsvahs, school dances, cruises, weddings, house parties, and dance clubs, I always loved to let loose and dance the night away. My appreciation of dance music and night club culture skyrocketed during my semester in Jerusalem with nights dancing till dawn at top clubs like HAOMAN 17.

Becoming DJ Yofi

Just last November, I had the chance to see my favorite DJ live. I took the trek up to Broomfield, Colorado and saw DJ Tiesto perform one of the greatest live shows I have ever seen (see videos on my Youtube Channel). That sparked my interest in repeat visits to the local popular dance club, Beta, to see artists like Sydney Blu and Sharam throw down on the mixer.

That is when I had the urge to become a DJ return. However, this time I was older and had a job.

I began to research the DJ world to see how popular DJs make incredible dance music. Top DJs use a combination of vinyl turntables, CDJs (compact disk turntables), and digital mixers. I didn’t intend to start a vinyl collection or update my CD collection, so I decided digital mixing was for me.

This Is Gonna Be Expensive

From there, I began to learn the nuances of digital mixing. There are tons of guides that perplex the typical reader with lists of software mixers, sound editors, DJ controllers, DJ packages, amplifiers, sound cards, and speakers. I eventually navigated my way through the noise to find the best digital mixer package available today: the Traktor Kontrol S4 with Traktor Pro software. The cost: $900.

Oh yeah, I would also have to upgrade my laptop to run the software smoothly, buy big speakers, and get DJ headphones. The cost of all of that ended up around $120, $300, and $95 respectively.

But one day I walked into Guitar Center for the fourth time and they offered me $100 off on the S4 and speakers. I took it.

To make a longer story short, I had a dream. $1,500 later I became a DJ.

Living The Dream

I have no regrets. I love my package. I love the feeling of the bass flowing through my apartment. I love the way I look with my awesome Stanton Pro 2000S headphones. I can’t get enough. I even made a few bucks putting mixes together for people on Fiverr, but that is just the beginning.

What started as frivolous fun might go somewhere. I am quickly learning how to seamlessly transition songs, add effects, and give people a great beat to dance the night away. House parties are certainly in the future. Night clubs and bars are serious possibilities. I might be able to turn this hobby into a third income stream. Not too shabby for something I would do for free.

If you are interested, you can find my DJ life online too. Head over to DJYofi.com to check out some of my mixes for free.

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